Bayhawks Escape With 16-15 Win Over Hamilton

Bayhawks Escape With 16-15 Win Over Hamilton

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After the first three quarters of Saturday night's Major League Lacrosse game between the Chesapeake Bayhawks and Hamilton Nationals, it appeared that the MLL-leading Bayhawks were well on their way to a fourth straight win.

However, the Nationals made things difficult for the Bayhawks in the final 15 minutes by going on an 8-0 run before Chesapeake emerged victorious with an exciting 16-15 win over Hamilton in front of 9,832 fans at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

The win improved the Bayhawks to 6-1 this season and kept Chesapeake in first place in the MLL standings while Hamilton had its two-game win streak snapped.

Led by a goal and an assist from attackman
John Grant, Jr., the Bayhawks exploded for a 5-0 lead in the first six minutes of the game. After attackman
Kevin Crowley and midfielder
David Earl scored back-to-back goals in a 35-second span to end the Bayhawks' run, rookie midfielder
Matthew Mackrides extended the Bayhawks' advantage to 6-2 with 3:18 left in the period.

Grant and attackman
Danny Glading upped the Chesapeake lead to 8-2 by scoring back-to-back goals midway through the second quarter before midfielder
Stephen Keogh answered with an unassisted marker for the Nationals.

After the teams exchanged goals twice later in the second quarter, Glading gave Chesapeake a 12-5 lead at the intermission when he fired a shot from 20 yards that slipped past goalkeeper
Brett Queener as the first half ended.

The teams traded goals twice in the third quarter before attackman
Drew Westervelt scored off a feed from midfielder
Kyle Dixon with nine second left in the stanza to give the Bayhawks a 16-7 advantage.

However, it was the last goal the Bayhawks scored as Chesapeake was held scoreless in the fourth quarter as Hamilton scored six straight goals, including a pair of two-point markers, for a 16-15 margin. Midfielder
Joe Walters tallied three assists during the run while midfielder
Donny Moss and defenseman
Brodie Merrill each scored a two-point goal.

Glading was named as the Bud Light MLL Player of the Game after scoring three goals with an assist while Grant and midfielder
Steven Brooks each scored two goals with an assist. Dixon contributed a two-point goal with two assists for the Bayhawks, who outshot Hamilton by a 48-36 margin.

Keogh led the Nationals with a game-high four goals in a losing effort while Walters contributed four points, including the 200th of his MLL career, by scoring a goal with three assists.

2012 MLL All-Star Game presented by Moe's Southwest Grill

MLL will host its marquee event in Palm Beach County, FL this year on Saturday, June 30! To buy your tickets now,
click here. To learn more about the 2012 MLL All-Star Game presented by Moe's Southwest Grill,
click here. The 2012 MLL All-Star Game will feature the best lacrosse players in the world, all on one field and will be aired live on ESPN2 and ESPN3.